T20 World Cup 2026, Bangladesh: The T20 World Cup 2026 matches will be played in India and Sri Lanka. Pakistan's matches in the tournament will be held in Sri Lanka, as an agreement was reached last year between the BCCI and the PCB to hold India-Pakistan matches at neutral venues. Now, Bangladesh is also adopting a similar stance, as reports have emerged that the Bangladesh team will not be traveling to India for the T20 World Cup. Asif Nazrul, a sports advisor in Bangladesh, confirmed this on social media, stating that the Bangladesh team will not be coming to India for the tournament.
“As the advisor in charge of the Sports Ministry, I have asked the Board of Control for Cricket in Bangladesh to explain the entire matter to the ICC and write to it,” said Nazrul on his Facebook page.
“The board should make it clear that where a Bangladeshi cricketer cannot play in India despite being contracted, the entire Bangladeshi cricket team cannot feel safe going to the World Cup. I have also instructed the board to request that Bangladesh’s World Cup matches be held in Sri Lanka.”
Nazrul further said that he has requested the country’s Information and Broadcasting Advisor to not broadcast IPL matches in Bangladesh. “We won’t stand for any insult to Bangladesh’s cricket, cricketers and the country. The days of slavery are over,” he said concluding his statement.
The BCB made this decision after Mustafizur Rahman was ruled out of the IPL. Recently, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) instructed the IPL franchise Kolkata Knight Riders to release Mustafizur Rahman from their squad. The KKR franchise complied with this instruction and removed Rahman from their team.
The interim government of Bangladesh has strongly objected to the decision to drop Mustafizur Rahman from the IPL team. Syeda Rizwana Hasan, advisor to Bangladesh's Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (I&B), described the entire incident as politically motivated, stating that it had hurt the sentiments of the people of Bangladesh and that the government could not accept it silently. Rizwana Hasan said, "Usually, when there is political tension between two countries, cultural exchange and sporting ties help to improve relations. But here, the exact opposite has happened. A Bangladeshi player was initially selected for the team and then allegedly dropped for political reasons."
According to reports, the Bangladesh Cricket Board had initially decided to send letters to the ICC and BCCI to inquire about the security situation. However, they later changed their minds during a board meeting attended by most of the directors. It is believed that the Bangladesh Cricket Board may issue a press release regarding this matter.
Bangladesh Cricket Board has requested the ICC to shift its team's matches in the 2026 T20 World Cup to Sri Lanka. The BCB believes there are serious concerns regarding the security of Bangladeshi players in the current circumstances. Therefore, the BCB will formally contact the ICC to request a change of venue for the matches.
Bangladesh's Group Matches in the T20 World Cup 2026
February 7, vs West Indies, Kolkata
February 9, vs Italy, Kolkata
February 14, vs England, Kolkata
February 17, vs Nepal, Mumbai.
